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About Kimya

Dennis’s contributes to criminology, criminal justice, and sociology through research, teaching, and community involvement. Her areas of emphasis are suicide and self-harm, interdisciplinary approaches to mental health, community violence, and Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for law enforcement, and race and ethnic relations. She conducts research on suicide and self-harm, youth violence, childfree people of the immediate African diaspora, and reproductive freedoms. Dennis is quite involved in the community including membership on the Board of Directors for The Mental Health Association in Forsyth County and the North Carolina chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; membership in the Winston Salem Urban League Young Professionals; and membership in professional criminology, criminal justice, and sociology organizations.

Publications

"Black Male Suicide: Inward Expressions of Social Status and Status Frustration" in Handbook of Research on Black Males, edited by Theodore Ransaw, Charles Gause, and Richard Majors (Michigan State University Press, forthcoming).

Explores the nuanced and multifaceted phenomena known as the Black male. Provides a comprehensive tool that can serve as a resource to articulate and argue for policy change. Suggests educational improvements and judicial reform.

"Being Black, a Woman, and Childfree: The Intersection of Race and Gender," Association of Black Sociologists, October 2014.

Discusses the preliminary findings of ongoing study of childfree people of the African diaspora. Interviews have been conducted on 54 childfree women of the African diaspora and 3 childfree men of the African diaspora in the U.S.A., Africa, and Europe.

"Need for Understanding between Civilian CIT Trainers and Law Enforcement CIT Trainees," NC CIT State Advisory Committee, December 2014.

Discusses interviews of eleven law enforcement representatives who have undergone CIT (mental health) training. Emphasizes increased awareness of the needs of mental health consumers and improving the relationship between consumers and law enforcement.